Falling Slowly
by KlarolineShipper
Summary: The attraction Klaus has to Caroline is undeniable, but it's evident she wants nothing to do with him. He will go to every extreme to win her over, but what happens when her friends step in and plan up a scheme to fool Klaus? Manipulation was key, though little did they all know, love was the last thing you should play games with. & it only takes a moment for everything to change.
1. Chapter 1

**_This is the first fan fiction I've written, and I've been getting really into it! So I hope you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed creating it. This is just a chapter to introduce how Klaroline currently feels about each other, and their POV's are kind of like their writing in a journal. Just clarifying that for future reference, if I happen to do it again in other chapters (x Anyways, enjoy!_**

_-Klaus POV-_

I have resided on this earth for over a thousand years. You would think my thoughts would wander elsewhere rather than on someone who won't even give me the time of day. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case. All around me I hear I've taken quite an obsession over her. Though, who am I to be obsessed with anything other than my hybrids? The creation of them would ensure their loyalty through the sire bond. I wouldn't need to work as hard for the acceptance of them, which is exactly how the order of things should be. After all, I'm a part of the Original family. So why have I become so preoccupied with obtaining the acknowledgment of one mere girl?

For starters, perhaps it's the simple fact that she _wasn't_ just a girl. She was Caroline Forbes. She was the kind of woman you don't just come across every century. I would know, because it's taken me 10 of them to find someone as grand as her. The part that lures me in the most? She doesn't even try. She is magnificent without any effort put in being so at all.

And the fact that I can hardly hold a conversation without her scoffing or rolling her eyes the other way only makes me strive for her interest more so. I am forever captivated, and it is far too late to turn back now.

* * *

_-Caroline POV-_

What's his deal? Can he not take a hint? I'm obviously happy with where my life is at right now. No boys, no drama. This was a first in my life and I'd like to enjoy it, thank you very much. Just because Tyler and I are broken up doesn't mean Klaus can suddenly step into the picture and try to woo me every chance he gets. He seems to think that because he's an Original, he can win me over as easily as a snap of his fingers. But I won't give him the satisfaction of that. Expensive gifts won't buy me, and compulsion would be a low blow, even for him.

His voice may make me melt and his smirk may drive me wild, but that still doesn't change the evident facts right in front of me. As charming as he's playing out to be, it's all an obvious act. He is a _monster_. He is ruthless, and arrogant, and puts all of my friends in the risk of being in danger. If he thinks a few slick lines can carve his way into my heart, he's sadly mistaken.

* * *

_-No One's POV-_

Klaus was sitting at the bar in the Mystic Grill, patiently awaiting the lovely Caroline. Of course she had never agreed to meet him there. But he thought since this seemed to be the typical hang out for everyone at Mystic Falls, she would be bound to walk in at some point.

After 3 hours of tortured waiting, she finally entered the Grill. She was in a red sundress and had just swept her sunglasses from her eyes and let them rest on top of her head as her curly waves flowed from either side of them. The sight of her caused a smile to play along Klaus' lips, and after downing the rest of the scotch in his glass, he made his way over to the table she had just settled down on.

"Caroline, just the person I was hoping to run into." Klaus said as he took a seat in front of her. He gave her a charming smile, which she returned with a furrowed brow.

"What the…" She said aloud as she looked around her, wondering where he had come from. "Were you waiting around here or something?" She questioned in confusion, looking back towards him.

He shrugged. "What's a few hours when you've lived a thousand years? I have an unimaginable amount patience. Especially towards you."

Her face slightly scrunched up in disgust before replying, "Congratulations, you've reached a whole new level of creepy." He chuckled at the insult which only seemed to annoy Caroline. "What do you want, Klaus?"

"Just a moment of your time, love. Have you gotten anything in the mail lately?" He questioned with a cheeky smile.

She sighed in exasperation. "If you're talking about the billions of letters you've sent me, then yes, I have."

"Now I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you? Though I could gladly send you that many if you wish."

She rolled her eyes. But she had done it so often, that at this point it no longer fazed Klaus. "No, I'd really rather you didn't. And by me not replying to any of the ones you _have_ sent, I would think that by now you'd have gotten a clue."

The amusement on his face never faltered. "So much hostility. My intentions have been nothing more than trying to get to know you, Caroline." He pulled out an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket, sliding it across the table towards her. "Last one, I promise. As long as you proceed with what it says, I'll stop mailing you anymore. You have my word."

"Wouldn't it just be easier to compel me and get whatever it is you're trying to do over with?"

"Yes, it would be a great deal easier. But there would be no fun in that. There would be no chase. And it's all about the chase, if I'm not mistaken." A smirk crept up on his face.

Caroline stared at the envelope, then back up at Klaus. She waited a few moments in silence, not wanting to give in. But realizing he was far from backing down, she scoffed and shook her head, grabbing the envelope. "You're impossible." She opened it up to find the following message written neatly in his calligraphy:

_I saved your life; the least I can get in return is the honor of accompanying you to dinner._

_Don't worry about your attire; I've taken up the courtesy of putting together a fitting ensemble._

_A chauffeur will be sent to pick you up at 8._

_Until then, I will be patiently awaiting your arrival._

_ -Klaus_

"You've gotta be kidding me." Caroline began. But once she looked up, he was nowhere in sight. She groaned with frustration, though she knew he was right. He _had_ saved her life. When Tyler bit her, it was his blood and his blood alone that could heal the wound. Still, that doesn't take away from the horrible things he's done to all of her friends. But if she wanted Klaus to stop bothering her, she decided that she could survive through one dinner, and hopefully he'd leave her alone for good.

_**Hope you guys liked it! Chapter 2 should come out very shortly. I've finished writing it, and I'm currently just editing and making a few changes. Until then, it'd be great to get some reviews to let me know what you guys think! xoxo**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here's chapter 2, everyone! Wonder what happens on Klaroline's dinner together? Keep reading to find out! Caroline's gown in this chapter is based off a picture of a beautiful dress I had found online! I'll put that up on my profile ASAP so you guys can see it, but in the meantime, enjoy! (;  
**_

After spending an hour longer at the Grill, it was 6pm, so Caroline decided to head home and get ready for the long night ahead of her. Once she entered her bedroom, she realized Klaus had not lied. Right on the bed laid a gift box similar to the one he had given when he invited her to the welcoming ball that took place at his mansion. She unenthusiastically walked over to the box and tossed the lid to the side. But right when the contents caught her eyes, a soft gasp escaped her lips.

The most beautiful dress she had ever seen, even more beautiful than the first one given to her, lay neatly folded in the box. She lifted it up, letting the bottom flow onto the floor in order to get a better look at it. It was a champagne colored full length gown. The top half was embellished in silver with a beautiful intricate design that was similar to the one on the dress she had worn to the Mikaelson ball. It had a mermaid-styled skirt, which was made of the same tulle material that had been used on the straps. It was the lace that covered the top half that really made the dress so eye capturing with its flower design that created a very vintage and elegant look. It was breathtaking, and Caroline gently laid it back onto her bed next to the gift box. Inside the box, she noticed a few more things had been hidden behind the gown. A necklace rested neatly before her with chandelier earrings on either side of it. Of course it was none other than diamonds; she shouldn't have expected anything less from Klaus. They matched perfectly with the bracelet he had already given, which he hoped she would notice so she would wear that as well. The sight of the jewelry caused her to stare in adornment, and she almost didn't notice the envelope that lay directly above it. Opening it up, she read:

_It was a difficult task finding a gown that would do justice to such a beauty as you, but I figured this one will have to suffice. I look forward to tonight._

_-Klaus_

Caroline looked once more at the stunning gifts he had given her, but quickly snapped herself back to reality. There he goes again, trying to buy his way into her heart. With a roll of her eyes, she grudgingly walked over to the bathroom to start getting ready.

After getting out of the shower and allowing her hair to dry, Caroline perfected her curls and made them appear to fall effortlessly in beautiful cascades from the top of her head. She carefully applied on just the right amount of make-up without overdoing it and slipped on the dress Klaus had chosen for her to wear. She looked into the mirror and a smile found its way onto her lips, because even with her insecurities, she could not deny how flawless she looked in this moment. The gown hugged her curves in all the right places and the skirt flowed beautifully to the ground. She put on the necklace and earrings that were in the box and admired how they glimmered off the lights in her room. Lastly, she made her way over to her jewelry box and opened it up to find the bracelet he had given her. After securing it onto her wrist, she slipped on some silver heels and took one final look in the mirror before heading out the door.

Just as Klaus said, a chauffeur was waiting outside of her house in front of a limo. Once he saw her step out, he opened up the door for her and she made her way inside.

"So where exactly are we going?" Caroline asked the driver as he began making his way onto the road.

"Klaus has sworn me to secrecy. He wants to keep it a surprise."

Caroline crossed her arms in front of her as she leaned back into the seat. She wasn't enjoying a second of this, but she knew he must've been feeling pretty triumphant. And she was right, because soon enough the driver pulled into to their destination, and there stood Klaus with a wide grin on his face. She wanted to smack it right off.

He was the one to open the door for her, and in a very gentlemanly manner, he stepped to the side and extended her a hand. Caroline ignored it and got out of the limo, stepping past him and looking around her. They were at the Mikaelson mansion.

"You got me all dressed up just so we could have a date _here_? At your house?" She questioned incredulously, looking back at him.

"So it's confirmed then? This is a date?" A smiled played along his lips.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with."

He chuckled, offering his arm to her. "Glad to see your enthusiasm." She reluctantly wrapped her arm through his and he led her towards the backyard.

"Beautiful..." She whispered aloud, though she hadn't meant to. She had never been to the Mikaelson's backyard, and beautiful was an understatement. It was as if they had their own private garden, with twinkling lights everywhere. There was no need for stars, because they might as well have had the whole night sky in front of them. He smiled over at her reaction as he lead her deeper through a stone path that was surrounded with fields of exotic flowers on either side of them.

Soon, they reached a table set up underneath a tree. To the right of them was a lake where the moon and stars reflected brilliantly and all was serene and calm. The table was set with fine china and the plates were already filled with food that Caroline couldn't place a name on, but it looked delicious all the same.

If this date was with anyone other than Klaus, she would have truly enjoyed it. The setting was incredible, and it had all been such a romantic gesture. But it _was_ with Klaus. And she had to keep reminding herself that in order to not do anything stupid like falling for his sweet act.

He pulled out a chair for her, motioning towards it. "I'm delighted that you could make it tonight."

Caroline narrowed her eyes and gave him an icy glare. "Don't act as if I had a choice." She shot back before taking a seat.

"Ah, but you did." Klaus took the seat in front of her and gave her a playful smirk. "I didn't compel you." He reminded her.

"You might as well have. Bribing, compelling, it's all the same thing. Especially if it consists of you getting you off my back with the creepy letters."

He seemed to be amused by this. "What makes you think that after tonight you won't have fallen head over heels for me? It could take one night, Caroline. One night may be all I need."

She scoffed in pure disgust. "Please. You and I both know that's never gonna happen."

"I suppose we'll find out. You look absolutely exquisite. It seems that I was right about that dress." He changed the subject, giving her a charming smile. "And I see you're wearing the bracelet I gave you as well." He added, gently taking her hand in his as he inspected the shimmering diamonds that hung on her wrist.

"It matched." She replied dumbly as she snatched her hand back.

He laughed. He always found amusement in the simplest things she said. "As it should."

Caroline decided that it would be rude to not compliment him on how he looked as well, considering it appeared as if he worked hard to try and make himself presentable for her. Plus, though she'd never admit it out loud, he looked incredibly handsome right now. "You don't look half bad either." She spoke indifferently.

Klaus seemed pleased with the compliment. "Thank you, love." He gestured to the plates in front of them. "Please, let's not keep this food waiting any longer." And with that, the two of them began to eat.

The first bite she took was ambrosial. "Oh my god," she spoke with her mouth still full, "what is this?"

"Is it not good?" He asked, a little nervous that she had been dissatisfied.

Caroline shook her head, taking in another bite and allowing herself to finish swallowing it before responding. "No, this is delicious! Did you make this?"

Klaus smiled brightly at the second compliment she had given him tonight. "I did. It's a type of fettuccini that I added my own twist to. I was able to learn thing or two in Italy after living there for quite some time." Caroline had already taken another bite, so he went ahead and followed with a question. "Have you thought about what you're going to do?"

She looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You can't stay in Mystic Falls forever. 10 years down the road, someone is bound to take to notice your immortality. Have you thought of where to go?"

In truth, it had never crossed her mind where she wanted to go next. She was always used to living in the now.

Klaus leaned closer to her as he lowered his voice in the same captivating manner he used when he saved her life. "When you were on your deathbed from that werewolf bite, I told you of all the beauty this world had to offer. That alone is what made you want to live. Clearly you want to see the wonders around you, but where to begin? If you could start in this very moment, where would your curiosity lead you?"

Caroline thought for a moment. She had never been asked this before, so it threw her off guard. After a minute of contemplating, she finally replied. "I'm not sure, to be honest. There's not any specific place. I just want somewhere exotic, somewhere close to the ocean with countless flowers all around." She slightly smiled, glancing towards the garden around her. "Kind of like the ones here. I want a place where I can wake up every day and not feel so damn angry for being a vampire. Because that place… it would be so beautiful, that I wouldn't mind waking up to it every morning. I'd be _grateful_ to wake up to it. And when the day ends, even after 10 more years of waking up to the same thing and staying stuck in the same age, I want a place where I'd be happy to do it all over again." She stopped then, envisioning her dream getaway and getting completely lost within it as if she were in a trance. She was smiling with longing as she began to wonder if such a place even existed. But from the corner of her eye, she noticed Klaus gazing at her, so she cleared her throat, looking to the side.

As Klaus listened to her description, he hung onto every word. She never spoke this way to him, with so much honesty and passion. It captivated him to see this side of her, and he knew it wasn't going to last very long. He was right because soon enough, she cleared her throat, breaking off the moment. But he kept his kept his gaze on her, giving her a smile. "That sounds lovely." He said gently in response.

Just then, a butler came over with a tray of two champagne glasses. "Go on, sweetheart." Klaus said after taking a glass, encouraging her to take one as well. Seeing as she probably didn't have a choice, Caroline sighed and grabbed the glass from the tray.

"To this wonderful evening we've had." He said pleasantly, lifting up his glass to join hers in a toast.

She clanked her glass lightly against his. _Thank god_, she thought to herself, flustered. _I really need a drink after that._ He took a sip from his, but she downed hers completely. And that's the last thing she remembered before blacking out.

_**Dun, dun, dun! What's Klaus up to now? Guess you'll need to wait for the next chapter to find out (; send a review to let me know what you think so far, and until then stay tuned! xoxo**_


	3. Chapter 3

Caroline stirred in her sleep, and after feeling the leather seat beneath her and realizing she was not in her bed, she quickly jumped and her eyes widened in terror. _Where the hell am I?_ She wondered to herself. She looked around to find that she was in a private plane.

"Good morning, love. Or shall I say afternoon? Though I suppose it really doesn't matter. Being vampires, time has no meaning seeing as we have an eternity of it." Klaus spoke out as he entered from the door where the pilot should be.

"Are you flying this thing?" Not exactly the first question she wanted to ask, but a million thoughts were running through her all at once that she didn't know where to begin.

"No," he assured her, "I was only checking in on the pilot to make certain that he was compelled to fly to the right place."

"Which is where? Where the hell are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you some place beautiful. Some place that will hopefully go above and beyond your wildest dreams." He answered with a charming smile, as if she would be pleased with him. But instead she looked at him as if he were crazy. "Is that not where you want to go, love? Some place you'd enjoy waking up to? They were your exact words at dinner."

"No, not with _you_! How did you even get me on here in the first place?" The anger boiled up inside of her with every word she spoke.

He shrugged. "I may have slipped something in your drink to help you doze off."

"You _drugged_ me?" She was furious at this point. "You can't just force me onto a plane like that, Klaus!"

"Would you have gotten on if I had chosen a less drastic course of action?" He questioned with an arched eyebrow, already knowing what her answer would be.

"Of course not, because you're a maniac!" Caroline yelled. "I would never even get in a car with you, let alone a plane. And I definitely shouldn't have gone to that dinner last night if I knew you had this planned up your sleeve!"

Klaus frowned. There she was, making assumptions again. "You make it sound so diabolical."

"Isn't it? You wouldn't have drugged me if it wasn't. Who are you threatening me with? Elena? Is this some sort of scheme to get her to travel to across the world, and as far away from the Salvatores as possible? Because it's not gonna work. They'll come with her. And once they find you, you'll regret that- - -"

"Stop, Caroline." His face was hard and on the verge of anger, but he composed himself for what he was going to say next. "Is it so hard to believe that my intentions are nothing but good? Have I become that much of an enemy in your eyes that every time I make a move, I am thought of as someone who can't be trusted?"

"Yes, because you can't be! You haven't shown me one good reason to trust you."

"You've never given me the chance to do so." He retorted, taking a seat in front of her. "And let me make this apparent: I have never hurt _you_. I plan on keeping it that way."

"Yeah but you've hurt my friends, Klaus! And that's just as bad, if not, worse! And you expect me to sit around and just be grateful for the fact that it wasn't me? Well, I wish it was. Every time I wish it was me. I'd gladly take every stake driven through their body. And I'd sacrifice every drop of blood seized from them to be taken from me." She blew up completely, breathing heavily from the anger that had burst out of her.

This surprised Klaus. He knew she was strong, but he hadn't realized just how protective she could be. "I apologize." He said softly, looking down. How could he even look into the eyes of the girl he fell for after hearing those words from her? But finding the courage to, he did. And he looked at her with complete sincerity. "I only did what I did in order to get what I truly wanted, and that was to embrace what I really am; a hybrid. The sacrifice was inevitable."

"No, it wasn't." Caroline glared. "You had a choice. And the choice you decided on is what makes us enemies."

"Elena is still alive." He reminded her, as if that was supposed to make the situation any better.

"Yeah, because her father died for her. And the only reason you haven't killed her again is because she's still of use to you. You use her as your human blood bag." She spoke in disgust.

"Caroline, I am truly sorry." His eyes never left hers. He looked deeply into them, hoping it would somehow get his words across better. "I don't know how to make it up to you. But I have an eternity to do so, and I will spend every day trying. You have my word."

"Kidnapping me isn't exactly a great start to that." She pointed out.

He chuckled lightly, even though it was a completely inappropriate time to do so. "How else would you be able to get to know me if there are so many ways to ignore me in Mystic Falls?"

"And there aren't ways to ignore you anywhere else?" She challenged.

He gave her a smile; a genuine smile you'd give to a close friend. "Not if it's just you and me." And suddenly he got serious, leaning in towards her and giving her the same deep look as before. "Just one chance, Caroline." He spoke softly. "Just give me two weeks. Two weeks for you to truly discover who I really am. Two weeks to prove myself to you. And if at that point you are still angry or uninterested, I'll respect that decision. And I will leave you alone for good."

Caroline didn't understand. A second ago she was fuming, and now he had her melting at his words. But of course she played it off cool. He definitely wouldn't win her over that easily. But there was something in his voice; just the simple way his tone dropped ever so slightly when he talked to her this way that made this other side of him seem possible of reaching out to her. After a few moments that seemed like forever, she finally broke the silence with a sigh. "Fine." She mumbled, crossing her arms.

Klaus wanted so badly to grin, but he fought against it because he had a feeling it would make her change her mind if he was too eager. "Very well then." He leaned back into his seat, getting comfortable. "We'll be landing in a few hours. You should try and get more rest."

Seeing as she really didn't want to initiate anymore conversation with him, she decided taking another nap would be a good way to pass the time. She leaned back into her seat, adjusting her position and trying to get comfortable as well. Once she was settled, she rested her head against the window as she looked down below it. Soon enough, her eyes began to droop as sleep overcame her. But before nodding off into her nap she tiredly said one more thing. "I should warn you, I'm not easily impressed."

Odd choice of words before a nap, Klaus thought. But he smiled nonetheless even though her eyes were closed to see it. "Which is exactly what makes me strive to impress you." But Caroline was already fast asleep. He admired the sight of her a little while longer as he thought of how wonderful these next two weeks would be; just him and her. In anyone else's eyes it would have seemed surreal. But not to Klaus; he was capable of making anything possible. Still, a surge of nervousness subtly flowed through him. This was his one and only chance. It was the tipping point on whether or not Caroline would ever be his, which happened to put a lot of pressure on one's shoulders, even for a big bad hybrid. There was no screwing up; that wasn't even an option. He planned to give her the best two weeks of her existence, because he knew it would be the best of his.

Eventually, he reached into the compartment above him and pulled out a blanket. He gently spread it across her sleeping figure before taking his seat again. "Sweet dreams, Caroline." He whispered, and then drifted off into a nap of his own.

_**And there you have it, Chapter 3! Hope you guys have been enjoying this so far. Chapter 4 is still in the making, so it probably won't be as quick of an update as these last chapters have been. But it's getting there, and your lovely reviews will help motivate me to write it ever faster! :D I've been loving the feedback, so thank you guys so much. Until the next time! xoxo  
**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm sorry it's taken a little while for this chapter to come out! But I enjoyed writing this one. It's a bit lengthier than the other chapters have been, and there's a lot of description. So I hope you guys like it! (:  
**_

Although it seemed like much longer, three hours had passed and Caroline had just begun to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she saw Klaus already awake and smiling over at her. "You're up just in time," he said. "We're about to land."

"Don't do that." She said groggily in annoyance as it had been obvious that he must have been looking at her that way for quite a while. She rubbed her tired eyes before continuing, "It's rude to stare."

He chuckled, putting his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry, love. But you're equally at fault, you know. Maybe if you weren't so lovely while you were sleeping, it would be easier to look away."

After Caroline replied with a roll of her eyes, the plane had finally landed in their destination. Klaus stood up and walked towards the back of the plane, retrieving two suitcases and a large duffel bag which he hung onto his shoulder. He made his way back over to Caroline, slightly lifting the suitcase in his right hand. "This one is yours."

"First you drug me to kidnap me, and then you break into my house to pack my stuff?" She asked, mortified.

"You should really try and hold off on your assumptions before hearing the explanation." He said with a slightly teasing tone. "Although these are not yours originally, they are now. I acquired a few things I thought you might need for this trip beforehand." He clarified.

By the size of the suitcase, it seemed to have everything she would need for much longer than the allotted time she had given him. She narrowed her eyes before reminding him, "Two weeks, Klaus. That's all you get, and don't you forget it." And with that, she walked out the plane with him following close behind.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs from the plane, her breath was taken away. They were on a beautiful island that seemed like it went on forever. But it wasn't _just_ an island. There was stunning architecture which must have been themed around seashells and all things underwater, because everything had such an aquatic and tropical feel to it. It looked as if it were a city that anyone would crave to run away to; the perfect exotic getaway. All of the structures centered in on the central part of the island while the areas that surrounded it consisted of beautiful beaches and gardens and mountains that she couldn't wait to explore. And as if all the beauty around her wasn't enough, she took notice of the striking castle that stood in the heart of all of it. The enormous building looked as if it could be made completely of seashells itself. It glimmered tall and proud and the intricate designing caused Caroline to believe that it must have been the main structure of the entire city.

He had been right; this place was completely beyond anything she could ever imagine. But instead of confessing that, she breathed out in a daze, "Where are we?"

Klaus smirked over at her reaction, satisfied that he finally did something right by taking her here. "Some like to call it the true Lost City of Atlantis, since the number of people who have the privilege of knowing its location is vastly limited. But its correct name is Delacourt Island. The population was under 100 when I came across it many decades back, and the locals were stunned that I had actually found it. I was sworn to secrecy, but I thought you might be an exception." A smile played on his lips.

This flattered Caroline, and she her bit bottom lip to suppress herself from saying so. She wasn't sure of Klaus' facial reaction because he was behind her and she didn't dare look back. But to her relief, a limo pulled up in front of them before she had the chance to say anything at all.

"We should get going then." Klaus said with enthusiasm. He walked over to the trunk, putting their luggage inside before opening up the door for her. Once Caroline got in, he slid in next to her, and they drove off into the streets that led into the magnificent city.

The streets were narrow and the limo barely squeezed through. But it made sense because there was not a car in sight; she assumed driving was a rarity here. What would be the need in driving anyways? Everything looked to be at a comfortable walking distance in the city, except for the more adventurous places that stood on the outskirts of the island. But she wouldn't have minded the long walk if it meant being able to explore its wonders.

As they drove along deeper through the city, Caroline noticed there was another thing out of sight: people. She knows he had told her there weren't many others on the island, but shouldn't she have seen at least a few wandering around? "Where is everybody?" She asked him.

"I may have used a bit of compulsion." He confessed. "As I said, I want these next two weeks to be focused on getting to know each other, without any distractions. We don't need the locals around to bother us."

"You compelled 100 people to leave their home?" She turned, looking at him incredulously.

"Actually, I had my hybrids do it while we were flying over here. Don't be so upset, love. I'm sure they think of it as a little vacation of their own. They'll be able to return in two weeks when we leave."

Caroline frowned disapprovingly. "You can't always just use compulsion to get what you want."

"I don't." He grinned charmingly at her. "I haven't compelled you, but you're what I desire most."

She looked at him with loath. "That's because you and I both know that if you compel me, it doesn't count. It wouldn't be real."

"Precisely." He agreed. "And we wouldn't want that." Just then the limo came to a stop, and Klaus got out, holding the door open for Caroline.

Once she stepped out, she couldn't believe they were standing in front of the castle she had just been admiring a few minutes ago. "Don't tell me this is where we're staying?" She questioned as if it were some kind of joke. Clearly this building was far too extravagant for her to even step into.

"Would you prefer that we stay somewhere else?" He chuckled, grabbing the luggage from the trunk. "Come on, love. I'm sure you'll be much more pleased with the inside." And with that, she let him guide her through the wide doors that led into the castle.

And once again, he was right. There were no words for what the inside looked like, because nothing in her vocabulary could amount to explaining how truly wonderful it was. Right when she stepped onto the sparkling white marble flooring, she knew she must have been walking right into heaven. The foyer alone looked like it took millions of dollars and countless weeks to create. Every detail was extraordinary, and none of it could be missed. From the beautiful crystal chandelier that hung with elegance on the ceiling above them. To the shell encrusted banisters on the two grand staircases that curved to meet once again at the floor above. There were paintings, and sculptures, and even an extensive aquarium in the middle of the large room filled with fishes she had never seen before in her life. But her attention was averted from all of those things, because the second she walked in, what had captured her eyes the most was the enormous window that the two staircases led up to on the second floor.

She walked up the stairs in a trance, her heels clicking distinctly against the marble with each step. Once she got to the top, the view before her could captivate any pair of eyes in a mere matter of seconds. Since this was the tallest structure in the entire city, she saw past the buildings below her and straight into the wonders that stretched to the farthest part of the island. This specific window centered in on a beach that was a few miles away, and the sun setting against it was a perfect icing to the cake. It looked as though the scene could only exist in a photograph, but there it stood before her in reality. It was all overwhelming for a girl who had come from a small town, and who has never left it a day in her life. But that all changed today.

Suddenly, Klaus' voice snapped her out of her daze as he called down from the foyer. "Do you like it?"

"Are you kidding?" Caroline turned her head to look at him, still at loss for words. "This entire place is crazy; I've never seen anything like it." She turned back again, placing her hand on the glass of the window, staring longingly at the sight before her.

Klaus smiled. Not in a cocky or self-righteous way that someone would assume, but in a much more gentlemanly manner. It was as sincere as a smile could get because he was truly pleased, though not with himself. He was more pleased at the fact that _she _had finally found the beauty that was missing in her life. That _she _would now be able to experience wonders she didn't know existed. That _she_ was allowing him this chance to give her _all_ of those things, even though he was the last person to deserve being in her presence. He placed the two suitcases in his hands down and used his vampire speed to silently and quickly make his way up the steps, stopping right behind her. Inches from her ear, he whispered. "We can get a closer look if you'd like. So much beauty is right underneath fingertips, Caroline. This is your chance to explore it; to indulge in it. And I promise that once you do, it won't even cross your mind to turn back."

Caroline's heart raced at the way his breath ever so slightly blew against the back of her neck when he spoke. It sent goosebumps all around her, which she hoped he wouldn't notice. But no one could deny the way she was entranced by his words, eating them up and all the delicious thoughts that came along with it. She never dreamed of leaving Mystic Falls, but here she was, in what seemed like another world entirely with endless possibilities. But remembering who was speaking to her and feeling this moment was too intimate for her liking, she cleared her throat and walked past him to the edge of the middle banister that connected the two staircases.

"So is there anything to eat?" She asked, breaking their moment with a change in subject. But it certainly wasn't random; she really was hungry. Starving, actually. She hadn't had any blood since the morning of the day before.

"Of course, I wouldn't take you here unprepared." Klaus effortlessly tossed over the duffel bag that hung around him, and it landed gently behind her.

Caroline turned around and curiously zipped it open to find it filled with blood bags that would last them well over two weeks. Her hunger got the best of her, and she quickly grabbed one, ripping the top open and devouring its contents in pure bliss. Her appetite was satisfied once she emptied the blood bag dry, but she looked up to see Klaus had been watching her the entire time with a humored smile. "Sorry." She mumbled quietly, slightly embarrassed.

"No apology necessary, sweetheart. It all comes with being a vampire. Shall we head out, then?"

"I'd like to change out of this first." She said as she gestured to the gown she still had on. "I don't want to walk around all dressed up."

"Very well." Klaus said, using his supernatural speed once again to retrieve her luggage and bring it over to her. "There you go. Help yourself to any of the rooms in either of the halls," he gestured to his left and right, "and take all the time you need." He grabbed the duffel bag and headed downstairs again to place its contents in the fridge.

Caroline grabbed her suitcase, and if it wasn't for the strength that came with being a vampire, she would've had a hard time carrying it. She decided to head towards the left hall. There were many doors all around her, a few of them were open, a few of them closed. Not wanting to lurk too much, she settled for the second door on her right that slightly peaked open to reveal another wide window, which is exactly what made her choose it.

Once she entered the room she now claimed as hers, she latched open the suitcase on the king sized bed and groaned at its contents. "Seriously?" She muttered under her breath. It was filled to the brim with stacks and stacks of extravagant clothing, that she might as well have kept her dress on.

Something buzzed in the front pocket of the suitcase, and with confusion, Caroline brought the top back down and reached in it to find her phone. _That little liar,_ she thought to herself, _he did break in!_ But a part of her was thankful that he thought to pack her phone, because there was no way she could get through two weeks without it. Her phone had vibrated because she received a text, so she opened it up. _Caroline, everyone's worried sick. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day, give me a call back ASAP._ It was from Elena.

She had told her about her little "date" with Klaus, and although Elena had been very much against it, she assured her she was only doing it to get rid of him. She sighed knowing it would anger her friend that she had to spend another two weeks with this psychopath. Not to mention they'd be alone, which would only make matters worse. She hit the call button and after two rings, there was an answer.

"Caroline?" She heard Elena's worried voice on the other end.

"Hey." Caroline replied in her usual cheery voice to try and hide that there was anything wrong. "Tell everyone to not worry, I'm fine."

"Where are you?"

"Well…" She hesitated. "Okay, this is going to sound bad, but I'm with Klaus. And we're at this… place." She said dumbly, not being able to think of what else to call it. By what Klaus had said, this place was obviously supposed to be kept a secret. She did it for the citizens of Delacourt Island, not _him_, she convinced herself to justify keeping this from her best friend.

"Which is where?" Elena asked, suspicious. "How can you sound so calm and fine with this? What's he done to you, Caroline? Are you hurt?"

Caroline cut into her questions. "I'm not fine with it, Elena. But I don't really have a choice. Or, I do… But he told me he would leave me alone right after if I did this. He wants to try and get me to discover who he really is." She ended with an eye roll as she repeated his words.

"Listen, if he compelled you to not tell us where you are, I'll have Bonnie do a locator spell. And I'll head straight over there with Stefan and Damon right away, and we'll come get you, okay? You can't trust Klaus, he's- - -"

Just then, a voice interrupted and Klaus was at the threshold of Caroline's room. "We had a deal." He said quietly to her. She turned around in an instant, surprised that he was there. But he didn't look menacing like she thought he would. Instead, he looked… hopeful. Hopeful that she wouldn't turn back on their agreement. "Two weeks, just you and me." He reminded her.

Caroline sighed, turning away from him as she cut into what Elena was saying. "He didn't compel me. Like I said, I had a choice. And I'm asking you as my friend to not send anyone; I can take care of myself. Plus, he's not going to hurt me." She added, turning to look at him for verification. He gave her a small smile and a reassuring nod of his head in return. Looking away again, she continued talking into the phone. "It'll suck, but it won't be anything dangerous. I promise, Elena. Take care, and try not to worry too much." And before her friend could protest, she quickly ended the call.

_**There you have it! Just so everyone knows, the place they're at is absolutely fictional. Originally, I was going to put them in Paris or something. But as I was writing that out, I realized how hard it was since I've never even been there! So I decided to kinda create this perfect getaway. Everything is fictional, even the name. I don't exactly know where the name Delacourt Island came from; I just remember thinking it up and I thought it flowed really nice! So I hope you all enjoyed reading this, it'd be great to send in some reviews and let me know what you think! Until the next time! xoxo**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**There's not a whole lot of Klaroline scenes in this chapter, because we finally get introduced to what the gang back in Mystic Falls is scheming! So I hope you guys still like it nonetheless (;**_

* * *

A relieved smile swept across Klaus' face once Caroline ended her call. "I have to say, I'm a bit astonished that you didn't send for them to come rescue you."

"I don't need rescuing. Like I said, I can take care of myself." She replied icily. "And don't be so surprised. We made a deal, I'm just living up to it. Is that hard to believe?"

"No," He responded, shaking his head, "in fact it's admirable. I like a woman who keeps her word. But I know that's not the only reason you didn't send for them."

Caroline raised an eyebrow in an insulted manner and was about to protest before Klaus lifted a hand for her to stop, and he continued. "Because in truth, though you'll never admit it, you need this. You _want_ to be here. Maybe not for me, but for the simple thrill in where we are. Your heart craves the adrenaline, it burns for the adventure. This place is what you desire more than anything; I can see that plainly in the longing in your eyes and I can hear it in the way your breath picks up or slows down whenever you see the sights around you. Your subtle comments, your stares of awe. Why would you want to leave? Why would anyone?"

Caroline was taken aback. She certainly hadn't expected him to say that. Was she that easy to read? Or was she simply just blind to the way he had been so observant of her? Either way, she wasn't sure how to respond. Because he had been exactly right. As much as she didn't like being around him, she'd sacrifice it if it meant being able to explore this newfound place.

To her dismay, he continued talking again in that sweet accent that she was slightly beginning to find herself growing fond of. And it sickened her.

"There are more, Caroline. Delacourt Island is just one of the many gems out of the treasure chest. And I could take you to each and every one of them. Places you've never heard of, things you've never seen. All you have to do is ask." He ended with a teasing smirk.

The way the corner of his lip turned upwards made Caroline glare, and that simple smirk is what caused her to find her words again. But of course she had to stray away from the subject. So she did, changing it entirely. "You know, you lied to me."

Klaus raised his eyebrows in amusement at the sudden switch-up of their conversation. "How so?"

She lifted up the phone in her hand. "You said you didn't break in, but there's no way you could have gotten this anywhere other than my house."

Klaus slightly narrowed his eyes in playful speculation, cocking his head to the side. "Are you sure that's a reason to be angry, love? It was more of a risk on my part, seeing as you could have easily called someone to get you out of this deal we made. But the reason I decided on it was to let your friends understand that you were fine. Not allowing you a phone would have been a sign that I might be keeping you hostage, and that's not what I'm trying to do." He explained. "Plus, if they hadn't heard from you, it would only take a matter of time before they used the locator spell. I'd rather they be told that you were fine from the source herself."

Caroline let out a frustrated sigh. It was impossible to stay stubborn when he was being so… nice. And not to mention completely reasonable. She turned her head, not wanting to see the look on his face as she muttered, "thank you."

"No, thank _you._" Caroline looked at him, confused. "For keeping this island a secret," he clarified. "In all honesty, I was worried that it might be something you'd slip out to your friends. I'm glad to be proven wrong."

"I didn't do it for you," she spat with a glare. "And listening in on other people's conversations is rude!"

Klaus found it amusing that she would be the one to talk to him of manners when he had been nothing but a gentleman to her, whereas she was constantly giving him the cold shoulder. But of course he didn't say this out loud. Instead he said, "I do apologize, sweetheart. My curiosity got the best of me. Let's forgive and forget, shall we?"

Caroline huffed, crossing her arms and looking down at her suitcase, pausing a moment before responding. "Look, if we're gonna be heading out this evening, then I really want to be left alone to get ready."

Klaus took that as a yes. Smiling, he began to back out towards the door. "Of course. I will be doing the same. Take as long as you need." But just as he was about to turn and head out, he scanned the room around him. "Very nice choice. You know, this room once belonged to Cordelia Delacourt. She was the Princess of Delacourt Island." He looked towards Caroline again, fighting back a playful smirk. "Seems fitting."

And with that, he exited the room.

* * *

Elena paced back and forth in front of the large fireplace of the Salvatore boarding house. She was deep in thought of what to do about Caroline. Her instinct wanted to head out to wherever she was and snatch her away from that monster. But there was something in the tone of Caroline's voice that made her decide against it. She let out a helpless sigh, looking towards her friends. Damon was standing by his drinking cart while Bonnie and Stefan sat on opposite ends of the couch. "If you have any ideas, now would be the time to throw them my way."

"I think we should just do the spell. We need to know where she is Elena. This is Klaus we're talking about." Bonnie spoke with a tone of warning.

"Yeah, the same maniac who happens to be obsessed with her." Damon retorted with an arrogant wave of his hand. "Let them have their fun. At least it keeps him away from Mystic Falls. Out of sight, out of mind."

Elena shook her head at him "Damon, this is serious!"

"Am I the only one who sees how this is a _good_ thing? Klaus being in love with her has to be the best card in our hand, might as well play it." Damon smirked devilishly. But when no one responded, he rolled his eyes. "This is our leverage!" He turned to Stefan. "Come on, brother. I'm sure you of all people could see my side in this."

Stefan stared back at him, deep in thought. And after a few moments, he finally he turned back to Elena with a sigh. "He's right."

"What? Stefan, how can you agree with him?"

"We're not using Caroline as a way of distancing Klaus. She doesn't need to be caught in the middle of it." Bonnie said fiercely.

"On the contrary, I think the middle of it is exactly where she needs to be," Damon fought back. "None of us have the power to distract Klaus the same way that Vampire Barbie can. Not even your witchy magic. She's our secret weapon, and he doesn't even know it." He smirked, taking a swig of bourbon from the glass in his hand.

The three others exchanged looks. Could he have been right?

Damon continued. "Ever since Klaus took up this obsession, how many times has he been on our tail? How many times has he threatened us?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. Once again, no one responded. "Exactly: none. He's too busy trying to woo blondie."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "So what are you suggesting? That Caroline pretends to suddenly fall in love with him too?"

Damon slightly raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Actually, I wasn't suggesting _that_." He looked off, pondering this thought. Then slowly he began to nod his head, looking back towards their curious faces. "But I think that's the smartest thing to have come out of your mouth… ever." Bonnie gave him a death glare, which he naturally ignored. "Everyone think about it for a second."

"Absolutely not," Elena said immediately. "Caroline would never agree."

Damon replied with a shrug. "Sure she will, she's taken one for the team plenty of times."

"It's a good idea." Stefan spoke out. Elena gave him a look, but he continued explaining to everyone. "And not just because it would be a good distraction. If we went through with this, we could make certain he'd never hurt Elena, or anyone else that Caroline wouldn't want him to lay a finger on. The love he feels will grow to be stronger than his desire to kill. Ultimately, she could be the one to change him."

"There's no changing Klaus." Bonnie said coldly.

"There could be." Stefan pointed out. "Don't you think it's worth a shot?"

Elena thought for a moment, but ended up shaking her head. "I still don't think this idea is as safe as we make it out to be. We're playing fire with fire here. Sure he'll be blinded by love in the beginning, but what happens when he finds out it was all a lie? She can't pretend forever; we can't do that to her."

"When she wants to stop, she can just make him grow tired of her. Shouldn't be too hard on her part." Damon said with a sneer.

And in that same instant, Bonnie didn't hesitate to give him a ringing headache. He dropped his glass, holding the sides of his head and shutting his eyes tightly in pain. Once she felt he had enough, she eased off, still glaring at him.

Elena smirked. "That'll teach you to behave."

Damon ignored Elena, glowering at the witch before him. "I was only trying point out that she could stop whenever she wants. But she'll have to stop it through some melodramatic way. A way that won't make it seem as if she was playing him."

"How are we supposed to do that if she _would_ be playing him?" Elena countered.

"You act as though we've never done something like this before." Damon replied with a slight roll of his eyes. "The bad guys aren't the only ones who have tricks up their sleeves. We have a few of our own, every single time." He exchanged a look with everyone before continuing with a smirk "If you haven't noticed, scheming happens to be our specialty."

Everyone looked at each other now; the smirk on Damon's face was contagious. He was right. Looking back, there have been some pretty badass moments.

"So who's in?" Damon asked.

Stefan was the first to speak up. "I was in from the beginning."

After a moment, Elena shrugged. "I'm in."

Everyone looked towards Bonnie, but she was still contemplating.

"Come on, this happened to be _your_ idea in case you forget." Damon pointed out.

"I was being sarcastic." Bonnie responded with a glare. "But fine," she crossed her arms, looking to the side. "I'm in."

A smirk crept up on Damon's lips once again as he poured himself a new glass of liquor. "This is going to be interesting…"

* * *

After unpacking her entire suitcase and placing the clothes neatly in the spacious ivory drawer that stood in the room, Caroline had gone through each outfit with a roll of her eyes. _We're on an island_, Caroline thought to herself, a_re these many dresses really necessary?_ But luckily there were a few articles of clothing through the mess of extravagant outfits that she considered were appropriate for a walk in the beach or a hike in the mountains. Though tonight, since she didn't expect they would do any of those things with the sun not out, she decided she'd spare one of the dresses so it'd be one less of the other 20 to wear. She picked the most modest of the selection, which was a high-low dress. The front stopped mid-thigh, while the back stopped just before her ankles. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, and the coral color seemed to match the vibes of the island around her. It was very plain, but that's why Caroline chose it. The less attention the dress gave off, the better. She was annoyed at the way Klaus would always stare.

But she should have known better, because Klaus would stare regardless. After all, it was her in general that he thought was beautiful, not the clothes she wore. So after 2 hours when she had finally been done getting ready, it was no surprise that Klaus couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she made her way down the stairs. "You look wonderful." He spoke once she got to the bottom.

"Thanks," she said dryly. She took notice of what he was wearing: a white button down with a black jacket and a skinny black tie, dressing it down with a pair of dark jeans. She liked that whole half-and-half look on guys. Casual, yet classy. She didn't compliment him though. Instead, she started to feel a little under dressed. "Are we going somewhere more formal tonight? Because I could change…" She began, trailing off.

"No, there's no need for that. What you're wearing is perfect." He assured her with a smile. He offered his arm to her, which she hesitantly took hold of. And with that, he led them out into the cool night.

All around the island was peaceful, and a soothing breeze swept across them. He looked down at her, admiring the way the wind slightly lifted her hair along with it. "Are you ready for your first night in Delacourt?" He questioned pleasantly. But her only response was a small sigh. _This was going to take a while…_ Klaus thought to himself. Though nevertheless, he continued to lead them towards their destination for the night.

But back at the mansion, on the top of the ivory drawer, Caroline's phone beeped. And on the screen read: _1 new message – Elena._

* * *

_**There you have it, loves! After re-reading this, I thought "Man, Caroline's really mean to him!" Haha, but I'm just trying to stay true to how it'd be in TVD. But there will be more Klaroline moments in the next chapter, when they're on their first night out (; Though I'm not sure exactly when that'll come out, because I've been working on another Klaroline story! It's been so much fun writing it, I can't wait for you guys to read it (: Okay, enough of my babbling. Until next time! xoxo**  
_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I'm so sorry for the slow update on this! I've been having less and less inspiration, but I'm beginning to get back in the swing of things. I know this chapter took a while, but here it is at last! There are more Klaroline moments, so I hope that makes up for my lack of updates. I hope you enjoy it, my fellow Klaroline lovers (;**_

* * *

A while had passed while they were still continuing to walk in silence. But the constant glances that Klaus kept stealing at Caroline caused her to feel uncomfortable, so she finally attempted a conversation. "Where exactly are we going?"

"I thought we might start with a little something small. Seeing as this is your first night here, I didn't want to overwhelm you."

_Too late for that_, Caroline thought to herself. Because truthfully, she had already been overwhelmed right when she stepped foot onto that island and viewed all the marvels that existed on it.

The silence picked up again, until finally Klaus came to a stop. Caroline looked around them and saw they were near the edge of the city. There were only a few buildings around, and off into the distance, she could see farther into the depths of the island where she longed to adventure into. But Klaus gestured towards a giant building standing next to them, which had a magnificent staircase leading up to its entrance. The building wasn't nearly as large as the castle was, but in Caroline's eyes, it was enormous nonetheless.

"Here we are: Delacourt Island's one and only museum. The pride and joy of all artists, dead or alive, that have resided here." Klaus introduced, taking in the building with admiration.

Caroline was surprised. "A museum? I didn't think they would have one here."

"Of course they do, love. The locals may be very different from the sort of people you're used to, but they have always enjoyed the beauty of art. And they're quite good at it, to say the least." Klaus extended an arm to her. "Shall we?"

She looped her arm through his and together they made their way into the building.

Klaus heard it again; the same way the sound of her breath shifted whenever she marveled at what was around her. But who could blame her? Even _he_ was taken aback every time he would step into this museum.

He glanced in her direction with a smile, before returning his eyes to the art around him. "I'm sure this is a step up from the unpretentious works of mine you've seen."

Caroline looked his way as she cocked an eyebrow in an '_are you serious_' manner. "I happen to think your pieces are very good."

He grinned like a little boy, but she wasn't able to catch it because she just as quickly focused her attention back to the front of her.

The smile on his face never faltered though. "I appreciate that, sweetheart. Let's take a look around. There are many things to see, but only so many hours in the night." And with her arm still linked around his, he led them around the museum.

There were three stories to the museum, and he took her through every one of them. They went through every single piece of art, with Klaus usually giving her a brief description or history, and Caroline making a few comments about it here and there as well. Three hours had passed when his tour of the gallery had finally come to an end. They were now standing by a window on the third floor, staring out at the peaceful night.

"The locals here were really great artists; I wish I would've been able to meet some of them." Caroline spoke out, playing back in her mind all of the beautiful pieces she saw.

"You could. They'll be back in two weeks, if you'd like to stay longer." Klaus gave a playful smirk.

She gave him a look. "Don't push your luck."

He chuckled, brushing the topic aside. "I'm curious, what was your favorite piece today?"

"That's an easy one." She actually smiled as she remembered it, which automatically brought up a smile of his own. She began making her way through the room, with Klaus following close behind. After passing a few of the artworks, she stopped abruptly in front of a dazzling painting. It was unusually big compared to the other works around it, and was a beautifully done watercolor painting of what the entire island must have looked like from a boat's vantage point out in the ocean. This painting certainly did the island justice. It captured every detail of the buildings, of the mountains, of the palm trees. Every section of the piece was just as breathtaking as the next.

"At least that's one thing we have in common." Klaus said. She looked up at him and he gave her a smile. "This is my favorite as well. It's a beautiful landscape. But personally, I prefer creating portraits. Sort of like the one I gave you."

"Thank you for that," Caroline hesitantly said, realizing they've never even mentioned it to each other until that moment.

"It was my pleasure; I enjoyed drawing someone as lovely as you." After a pause, he quietly continued. "I really did value your honesty that night. No one has stood up to me that way before, and I believe it's what I needed. It was a bit of an eye opener."

Caroline looked back to the painting as she shrugged indifferently, but kept her tone soft. "I'm not afraid of you, Klaus. Whether that makes me stupid or brave, I still haven't figured out yet. But I'm not."

Klaus smiled sincerely. "That's why I like you, Caroline. You're courageous and bold; not afraid to say what you feel. You're fearless."

For a moment, Caroline thought back to when she was the complete opposite of those things. She laughed once, shaking her head. "Then a year ago you would've laughed in my face. I was none of that."

In an instant, Klaus was in front of her. He lightly stroked her cheek with the back of his index finger and looked intently in her eyes. "But you are now. You are everything that's admirable in a woman, and you should never have to think otherwise."

Caroline lost track of her breathing for a second. This was the first time he had been so intimate with her, the fingers grazing her skin caused her cheeks to flush a slight shade of red.

Not wanting him to get the satisfaction of her being in this state, she pulled away, looking anywhere but at him. "I'm tired… I'd like to head back now," she said quietly.

But Klaus did notice the change in tone of her cheeks and couldn't help but think of how adorable she looked, though of course he didn't say anything about it. "That's probably a good idea. We have a big day ahead of us." And without another word, the two of them made their way to the exit.

The walk back was similar to the walk there: quiet. Caroline was still feeling flustered, while Klaus was still happily playing back moments of the night in his head. They were in two different worlds right now and neither of them seemed to notice the silence surrounding them.

The only time the silence was broken was once they were finally inside the castle.

Klaus turned to her. "Thank you for the lovely evening."

"Thank you for taking me there," Caroline replied. "I enjoyed looking at all the art."

"Anytime, love." He smiled, beginning to make his way to the staircase. "I'll be in my room. But I should be awake, so let me know if there's anything you need at all." And with that, he disappeared upstairs.

With a sigh, Caroline wearily made her way towards the kitchen. After grabbing a blood bag and pouring its contents in a glass, she took a long gulp. How could she have let herself get so weak in the knees after a few measly words and a slight touch on her cheek? Maybe the old girly side of her peeked out for just a bit, but she wouldn't allow it anymore. She wasn't that same person, and she knows better now than to even _think_ about falling for a guy like Klaus. Feeling her cheeks cool down to its original color, she took a swig of what was left in her glass and placed it in the sink, making her way to her room.

Once she was inside she was about to plop face down on her bed, until she noticed her phone was blinking, indicating she had a text message. Tiredly, Caroline made her way to the dresser and opened the message up. _Once you're sure that Klaus is out of earshot, give me a call._ It was from Elena. She bit her lip and made her way towards the door, peeking out into the hall. Quietly, she shut the door and grabbed her phone and made her way into the bathroom. After shutting that door as well, she began to draw a bath, allowing the running water to cover up any sounds that Klaus might have been able to hear. Quickly, she dialed Elena's number.

After a few rings, she heard her friend's voice. "That took a while, are you alright?"

"I'm fine; we were just out for a little. Is everything okay?"

Elena paused. "Are you sure Klaus can't hear us right now?"

With the running water, Caroline knew he wouldn't be able to. But she looked towards the double sink countertop and turned both of them on for good measure. Quietly, she began talking again. "I'm positive. What's up?"

The two of them began exchanging whispers.

"We were thinking up a new plan of how to deal with Klaus."

"What'd you come up with?"

"Well, it has to deal with you…" Elena hesitated, and when Caroline thought she wasn't going to reply at all, she finally spoke up. "He's obsessed with you, and that's obvious. Stealing you away from here confirmed that. So Damon suggested- - -"

Caroline rolled her eyes, cutting her friend off. "Damon? This is his idea? I can already tell this is gonna be bad."

Elena ignored the comment and continued with explaining. "He suggested that you pretend to feel something back." She heard Caroline scoff, then quickly added, "Key word there; _pretend_. None of it has to be real."

"So you want me to hurt his feelings? Get his hopes up and watch them fall?" Caroline laughed at how childish all of this sounded. "I'm sorry, Elena. I may have been the decoy once with him before, but I'm not _that_ good of an actress to pretend I actually feel anything for him. I don't even see the point in this. Klaus gets heartbroken? That's not gonna stop him from being evil. But tell Damon he gets an A for effort," she finished sarcastically.

She heard a sigh from Elena before there was rustling of the phone being handed to someone else. Stefan's voice was on the other end now.

"That's not what this is about, Caroline. We're actually aiming for the opposite of a heartbreak," Stefan explained. "Love is the only thing capable of being greater than a vampire's thirst for blood – I've known from experience. We think you might be able to help us get Klaus to experience that too."

"You want me to get Klaus to fall in love with me?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes. And you have to pretend to love him as well. This plan will only work if you're willing to play your part, it has to be believable. I understand it's gonna be hard, and I know this is gonna be a long shot, but I think you can do it. We all do."

"Why _me_?" Caroline said more to herself than to him.

"You're the only one who can, Caroline. You have the capability to stop him from being a monster. You've at least gotta try," Stefan persuaded.

Caroline let out an exasperated sigh. How can they have so much faith in her? Klaus has lived for a thousand years, he's not stupid. He'd _know_ something would be sketchy if she suddenly began to flirt with him, especially since she can't even look him in the eyes for more than five seconds. And now she was supposed to pretend to fall in love with him? Although, she knows that if she truly was the _only_ person who had the slightest chance of changing Klaus, she should take the opportunity. Putting up an act was a small price to pay for all the lives she'd potentially save. With all of these thoughts running through her mind, she had almost forgotten she was on the phone.

"Caroline, are you still there?"

"Yeah," she replied, coming back to her senses. She paused, her lips forming a tight line. Then she grudgingly said, "Fine, I'll do it. But I can't promise anything. I'm not even sure if Klaus is capable of falling in love."

"I guess we'll find out. Keep in contact with us, alright? If you need anything, or if something happens, give us a call."

"Yeah, definite- - -," But she stopped midsentence as water began overflowing the tub, pouring out over the edge. "Shoot, I've gotta go!" And before Stefan could respond, she ended the call.

Caroline quickly made her to the tub, turning off the water, and doing the same to the faucets as well. "Great," she muttered under her breath as she stared down at the puddle that formed on the floor. She began searching the bathroom for some towels. But after a few minutes of no such luck, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Seriously? The princess of Delacourt didn't even keep towels in her bathroom?" She rolled her eyes.

She made her way out the door and into the hallway to search for Klaus' room. With all doors that stretched through the right and left halls, it was rather difficult. There had to be at least 20 different rooms on each side. But she eventually found his deep within the right hall.

The door was open, but only ever so slightly that it might as well have been closed. She lightly knocked, and was given a quick response.

"Come in," Klaus said invitingly.

Caroline slowly pushed the door open and stepped in. He was lounging against the headboard of his bed, and she saw him place a book down beside him. "Sorry if I'm interrupting," she said as she gestured towards the book.

"Not at all," Klaus assured her. "Was there something you needed, sweetheart?"

"Yeah um, I was drawing a bath but I guess I let the water run for a little too long…" Caroline explained sheepishly. "I couldn't find any towels. Do you have any extras?"

She expected Klaus to laugh at her or tease her, but instead he simply got up. "Yes, of course." He disappeared into his own bathroom, and in a matter of seconds he stepped back out with several neatly folded towels in his hands. He walked over to her and extended them out. "There you go, love."

"Thank you." Caroline took them, and was about to turn and head back to her room, but she stopped. She looked as if she was hesitating to say something. Her mouth opened to form words, but nothing ever came out.

Klaus frowned with concern. "Are you alright, Caroline?"

"Yeah, I just…" Her sentence trailed off. _If I need to play a little nicer, I might as well start now_, she grudgingly thought to herself. She began again, though she stammered in the process. "I just… I had a nice time tonight."

And before he could reply, before she could even take note of the look on his face, she quickly scurried out of the room.

* * *

_**Looks like Caroline agreed; I wonder what kind of troubles that'll bring? Guess we'll find out! I hope most of you haven't given up on this story, I'll do my best at updating quicker. In the meantime, reviews help speed up the process (; Don't be afraid to let me know what you guys think! Good and bad criticism, I'll take whatever. Both helps me grow as a writer (: Until next time, then! xoxo**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**I'd be really surprised if people still continued on with reading this; or even if they remember the story! Because I know I haven't updated in months, and I am so so so sorry, lovelies. Haven't had the time, haven't had the inspiration. I was in such a writer's block, and I'm sure my fellow writers out there know how that feels; it's the worse -_- But here I am! Back, and ready to keep this story rolling (; I have SO many ideas on the directions this story is gonna take and there's gonna be a BUNCH of Klaroline fluff coming up in the next few chapters, because it's the least I can do for abandoning this story for so long. I've missed it though, and I've missed you all as well, so I should stop babbling and start letting you read this chapter huh? Hehe alrighty, hope you all enjoy it! (;**_

* * *

'_I had a nice time tonight.'_

The words replayed in Klaus' mind over and over as he lay in bed. He hadn't realized how long he'd been laying there thinking of her until he saw the sunrise peak through the ocean outside of his window.

Though he hadn't had a wink of sleep, he wasn't tired. Instead he felt exhilarated.

Clearly he had a nice time yesterday as well, regardless of whether or not that feeling was mutual. But the fact that it _was,_ made everything all the more better. Caroline was not an easy person to please. And Klaus felt ecstatic that he had finally been able to show her a nice time.

But he wasn't going to stop there. A "nice" time was a huge step forward, but it wasn't good enough. He'd strive towards bigger and better things in order to show her a _great_ time. And by the end of these two weeks, he was determined to open her eyes and make her see how very capable he was of being someone other than the monstrous Klaus she once knew.

Of course, he had to take it day by day. And he had this day all planned out.

Klaus jumped out of bed and grabbed a notepad and pen before swiftly making his way downstairs. While heading down the steps, he carefully scribbled a few words on the paper. He made his way into the kitchen and placed the notepad on top of the counter. "She's bound to come in here," he ensured himself before grabbing a blood bag from the fridge and eagerly heading out of the castle doors.

* * *

Caroline stretched in bed before groggily rubbing her eyes. She looked over at the ornate clock that hung on the wall to see that it was already noon. "How could I have been asleep for so long," she mumbled tiredly to herself. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table to find that she had one new message. _Don't forget the plan, Barbie. Have fun with your hybrid ;)._ It was from Damon. Caroline rolled her eyes and tossed her phone aside.

She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen in order to grab herself a blood bag. After drinking its contents, she tossed it into the trash which just so happened to be next to the counter where Klaus had placed his note. Her eyes scanned the words.

_I apologize for leaving – I'm out preparing for the day ahead of us. I shouldn't be gone too long. In the meantime, feel free make yourself at home.  
_

_ -Klaus_

Caroline let out a bored sigh. True, she was in a castle and anyone would kill to be in her place to explore it. But it was in that moment that she realized he was right; it was impossible for her to ignore him here. And not only that, but he was basically the _only_ person she was able to spend time with for the next thirteen days. And what a tortuous set of thirteen days that would be.

But the worst part? She had to pretend that they weren't. She had to pretend that she was actually _falling_ for him, and even the thought caused her to grimace.

"They owe me big," she mumbled to herself as she began to make her way back upstairs.

* * *

After two hours of showering and getting ready for whatever was in store for her today, Caroline was now observing herself in the mirror. She had decided on wearing a very pastel and flowery sundress that fell just above her knees. The dress was very flattering, but also very casual, which she hoped would hint at Klaus that she wanted today's "date" to be casual as well.

Just as she finished applying on a light layer of lip gloss, she heard the castle doors open. And she sighed, quietly reminding herself to play nice.

"Caroline?" Klaus' voice called out from the foyer.

"About time you showed up," she called back in a teasing tone.

Caroline appeared at the top of the stairs, and as she descended down them, Klaus laughed at her response. "Sorry about that, love." He lifted up the picnic basket in his hand. "The island's delicacies aren't exactly easy to obtain with the chefs gone. I had to remember a few recipes I picked up from them long ago."

"A picnic?" She finally got to the bottom of the steps and glanced towards the large window. "Great, looks like the perfect weather for one."

Klaus smiled, offering his arm. After she linked hers through his, they made their way of the castle. "Someone's in a good mood today."

Caroline shrugged. "Honestly I was bored when you were gone. Not that it was exactly _your _presence I preferred, but I did want someone to talk to. If I'm such a bitch these next few days it'll just be miserable for the both of us."

"I don't think I could ever be miserable around you," Klaus looked down towards her with a soft smile, "but I'm glad you're willing to give these next two weeks a try."

Caroline half smiled and decided to change the subject. "So where are we going?" She noticed they passed the buildings in the city, and they were walking further from them, leaving it all behind. She wondered where this picnic would take place, and a hint of excitement arose as she remembered the outskirts of the island were where she longed to explore most.

"You'll see soon enough," Klaus responded with a mysterious smirk. It made Caroline want to roll her eyes, but she refrained herself from doing so.

It definitely didn't take as soon as she hoped, though. They continued walking for another 10 minutes, halfway in which he requested her to close her eyes. She was beginning to get fed up and couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Are we almost there?"

"Patience, love" he replied with a gentle laugh. And after a moment he abruptly stopped and turned to look towards her. "You can open them now."

Caroline's eyes fluttered open and she subtly gaped at the sight. The beach, which already looked amazing outside the huge castle window, appeared even more gorgeous in front of her that it almost didn't seem real. The ocean was so blue; the sand was so white… _The sand_, she thought as she frowned down at the flats she was wearing. Taking them off, she turned her head towards him. "It'd be nice to let me know where we're going ahead of time. Flats are so not meant for the beach." But as her bare feet met the sand, all thoughts escaped her. She felt as though she was walking on a cloud; the grains felt so lush and light beneath her, unlike any kind of sand she's stepped on before.

Klaus grinned. "I'll keep that in mind. Although you can't really blame me; it's difficult to resist surprising you. The look on your face is priceless every time." He led them closer to the ocean shore and placed the basket down, pulling out a picnic blanket and laying it onto the sand. "I know a picnic on the beach isn't exactly original. But I thought what better way to introduce you to Delacourt's unique food than to take you to the one place I know you wanted to visit first?" Caroline looked at him with a quizzical expression and he took a seat on the blanket while adding, "I saw the way you looked out at the beach from the castle when we arrived yesterday."

Caroline nodded once in approval. "Good observation, because your assumptions were right." She took a seat next to him, still relishing the sights around her. "I mean, this place is just incredible. Can you believe Mystic Falls has no beaches?" Subconsciously, she laid back on the blanket, but it was too small so her hair had spread out onto the sand. But she didn't seem to care. "This is my first time at a beach," she said more to herself than to him.

Klaus stared down at the wonderful girl before him. Every minute he was with her, she just seemed to pull him in deeper, and she didn't even have to try. His head tilted ever so slightly as he continued trying to figure out how one girl could cause such an impact on him.

It was silent, because both of them were thinking, but once again about entirely different things. Caroline was deep in thought about how beautiful the beach was, and Klaus was deep in thought about how beautiful Caroline was. But once she noticed the silence that crept upon them, she glanced his way and noticed him staring intently at her. She cleared her throat and sat up, lightly brushing her fingers through her hair allowing the sand to fall.

"So what exactly do the locals eat?" She asked, breaking the silence as she eyed the picnic basket. "A lot of seafood, I'm guessing."

Klaus laughed, opening the basket up. "Correct. But it's not of the typical seafood you're used to." And he was right. He pulled out a large plate and began decorating it with what looked like sushi, but at the same time like something she had never seen before in her life. Everything was so colorful and vibrant.

"What is all of this?" She questioned, intrigued.

"If I could tell you, I would. They have such a vast amount of aquatic species here, I've never cared to learn the names of it all." He pulled out two wine glasses and poured them each some Moscato. Then he smiled, handing her a fork. "But I can tell you the name of my favorite." He pointed at a square-looking purple fish that was no bigger than the size of her thumb. "That right there is _Gerulba_."

She laughed at how silly that sounded mixed with his accent. "You just made that up," she playfully accused.

He chuckled with her, a smile lingering on his lips at the sound of her laugh. "Well it looks odder than it sounds, doesn't it? Just try it."

Caroline hesitantly cut into half of the foreign delicacy before her. And after she bit into it, her eyes grew wide with delight. "Oh my god," she muttered with her mouth still full. After savoring every chew, she finally swallowed it before continuing on. "This was just… Words can't even describe how delicious that was!"

Klaus grinned, ecstatic that they shared the same taste in food. "I know. Makes you wish they were bred everywhere. But in reality, they only thrive here on the island."

"Then we gotta take a boatload home back to Mystic Falls!" she insisted, and Klaus laughed, a sound that Caroline found herself getting more and more fond of.

"We can sure try, love." He grabbed his own fork and smiled over at her. "Let's dig into the rest then. I think you'll take a liking to them all."

And with that, the two of them ate all the wonderful exotic food that was entirely new to Caroline. Each face she made after taking a bite always caused Klaus to chuckle, and they continued on until the plate was soon empty. It had just begun to get dark out as they finished their wine and began to pack up again. They soon found themselves walking along the shore; mostly because Caroline wanted to look for seashells.

Klaus picked one up, and it looked perfect with no cracks or damages what-so-ever. He dipped it into the ocean to wash off the sand then held it out to inspect it. It had a slight sheen of purple and it glistened under the moonlight. "Here's one," he said, handing it over to Caroline.

"Thank you," she replied as she smiled down at the sparkling shell in her hand. She was distracted by it for a moment, until Klaus' voice brought her back.

"You know, I haven't laughed that much in a very long time," he said. Caroline looked over at him, and he turned so his soft eyes could meet hers. "So I wanted to thank you for tonight."

"Maybe you'd have more people to laugh with if you weren't so busy killing others," she retorted without thinking. She mentally slapped herself for that one and was about to sugar coat it up with a lie, but he let out a light chuckle and spoke out before she could

"Maybe you're right." He looked down for a moment before looking back up at her and continuing. "Or maybe it's because of whom I was with. For some reason, Caroline… I'm myself with you. And I know you believe me to be some murderous monster, but that's not who I am. That's just what others portray me as."

Caroline stopped them from walking and shook her head. "They only portray you that way because that's how you present yourself."

Klaus cocked his head to the side in a quizzical manner. "Not to you. To you, I present myself entirely different. So why do you see me that same way?" he challenged.

"Because you can't do that. You can't be two different people; otherwise I'm going to see you as what the majority of others see you as. You may treat _me_ differently, but maybe that's because you're only trying to have _me _fooled."

"Or maybe you have it the other way around," he corrected. "I took you here to show you the real me. I _have_ been showing you the real me. Maybe it's the others I'm trying to fool with my evil façade." He exaggerated the last two words in a playfully evil tone in hopes to lighten the mood, but she shook her head.

"I find that hard to believe. It's easier to fool one person, than to fool hundreds."

Klaus frowned slightly, shaking his head in return. "No. It's easier to _open up_ to one, than to open up to a hundred others. Isn't it apparent that that's what I'm trying to do here?"

Caroline tilted her head to the side as her eyebrows furrowed together. She never thought of it that way. She shrugged, responding with, "I guess I'll find out."

Klaus accepted that answer and smiled, hoping his words would sink into her, and the two of them slowly made their way back to the castle.

* * *

_**Have I mentioned how much I've missed writing this story? Thank you all for sticking with me through this long process! I promise not to ever make you wait that long for a chapter again :P I was even losing patience with myself. I hope Caroline wasn't too nice too fast? I did try and make her more honest towards the end; so tell me what you guys think! Reviews let me know whether you guys hated or loved it; and I appreciate any sort of input (: Until the next time, then! xoxo**_


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